St. Landry democrat., 1887-04-23
BEECHER'S CAREER.

The history Of Henry Ward Bcecher
is remar.Aii,sc. His birth and early
history can be uo better told than IN his
own words, given not quite year ago:
Il was present, of course" he said,
"when I was born, bat | haven't the
slightest recollection of the event. |
learned subsequently, that it was at
Litchtield on June "a. 1873 My child
hood was perhaps no different from
that of others seventy years ago The
little ones in those days were not given
the consideration that is now accorded
them, and property SO, too. A litera-
ture for children was not dreamed OF.
There were no cilndrcn's festivals and
holidays; no Christmas aud New Years
parties. The ouly time that brought
us any especial favor was Thanksgiv-
ing. when the New England house
wives We'd with one another in the
composition of unique pies in limitlcss
quantity.
And so | was let alone. My father
was kept busy with his pastoral duties,
and my mother had SO many other chill
dren to attend to that little attention
was paid TO me. Still, wa not lone
some was not fond of reading. but l
used to like to tramp about the woods
and down by the bro ks among the
fens and brakes. would go on a hunt
for sweet-fag and sassafras, and L
knew Just where to find the squirrels.
Hound plenty TO do.
occasionally the patcrnal govern
ment would reach: sometimes my
father would whip me. | remember
that he used to tell me that the whip
ping hurt him more than it did me.
1t was hard to believe. because he was
strong man. but believed it, and it
used to make inc cry to be told so; then
of course had to cry when the whip
ping began. and. all in all, those were
very doleful episodes"
About this time" he said in his
droll way. my family woke up to the
fact that l needed looking AFTER and
he was sent to Hartford and placed I'M
der the charge of his sister. who was
principal of the girls school there. He
was the only boy among forty girls,
and this perhaps dampencd his ardor
for knowledge, for he declared that his
time there was also misspent He was
shortly sent to the Latin school, and
that oppressed him. He was restless
and strangely unhappy. Of this period
in his life he said:
my father let me read the stories Of
Nelson and Captain Cook. The adj
venture fever that often seizes boys
took hold Of me. / had all sorts of
fancy-drawn pictures of what might
do in the junglcs and deserts of the
Orient.
II used to lounge about the docks
and wharves in Boston and listen to the
shouts of the sailors and watch the
great merchantmen make ready for
their voyage to the Indies. At last L
could stand it no longer. determined
to 60 to sea aud had actually made all
arrangements when my father discov-
cred my purpose by chance.
He did not oppose me, strange as it
HAY SGGEl' 1AS luf1SCa W S,o w
Mount Pleasant Academy, at Amherst,
and prepare myself by the study of
navigation and mathematics for a sea-
faring life And to Mount Pleasant /
went, and in little while forgot all
a out my boyish freak. There / did
study, and when left was fitted to
enter Amherst College. AT college l
studied what [ liked and didn't study
what I didn't like"
At the age of twenty-one Mr.. Beech
er received his degree, and went to
Lane Seminary. at Cincinnati, to study
theology. Graduating from that insti-
tuition he went to Lawrenceburg, lit
tie place on the Ohio river, and preach
ed to his first congregation. Of this
dismal beginning of his illustrious CO.
reer he said:
How poor we were!
"There were ouly about twenty per-
sons in the fuctS. [ was janitor as we'll
as pastor of the little whitewashed
church. bought some lamps and [
filled them and lighted them. [ swept
the church and busted the benches and
kindled the fire, and didn't ring the
bell only because there wasn't any.
"'Well, my next raove was to Indian
apolis. There L had more consider
able congregation, though [ was still
far from rich in the worlds goods.
remember very well how borrowed a
paint pot and brushes and gave my
house fresh eoat--it was yellow,
believe. Bat tho ague shook Us out OF
the State. My wife's health gave way
and we were forced to come East.
His wife, to whom he here alludes.
was born at West Sutton, Worcester
CHI, az